


Foot in Mouth Syndrome

by Misterdevere



Series: January Challenge [27]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Eggsy & Roxy Friendship, Gen, Merlin is Scary, Mouthy Eggsy, but he's really a big softie, mentor harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 14:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10765701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misterdevere/pseuds/Misterdevere
Summary: Prompt: "It's only because you're shagging X" Eggsy's mouth gets him into trouble and he spends the rest of the day trying to talk himself back out of it. Angry, sexy Merlin is always good.





	Foot in Mouth Syndrome

Merlin's door was flung open, "What the fuck?"

Merlin didn't even look up. "If you're here in a professional capacity, you might want to try that again."

"Alright then. What the fuck, sir?" He knew that he definitely could and should do better than that but he was too angry to care.

Merlin took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy sign before turning in his chair to look at Eggsy. "I'm going to assume that you have a very good reason for bursting in and talking to a senior agent like that. Close the door, and let's hear it."

_So calm. Why's he always so fucking calm?_ Eggsy closed the door and took that couple of seconds to try and calm himself down a bit. It didn't work. "Six weeks. Six fucking weeks I was in that shithole getting everything set up, then you go and fuck it up right at the last minute, for no reason? All that prep and now we're back at square one."

"An agent under my instruction was compromised. It's my job to get them out of there. It was back to square one or lose an agent, but if you think I made the wrong call we can always try it your way next time you're in the field and see how that pans out." It was a wonder he didn't choke on the dryness.

"Bullshit! I was watching, it was going fine!" Eggsy moved away from the door, standing threateningly close to Merlin. "If it was anyone else, you would've just let them get on with it."

"And what exactly do you mean by 'if it were anyone else'?" He gave Eggsy a look that was both a dare and a warning. Eggsy ignored the warning.

"I mean if it weren't Rox. Everyone knows you're shagging her, and you wouldn't've made that call if you weren't." As soon as he'd said it he wished he hadn't, the feeling only made worse when Merlin put his glasses back on, looking fucking deadly, and then stood and reminded him that how he looked was nothing compared to how he actually was.

"This might come as a surprise to you, but some of us can separate our professional lives from our personal ones. I know you're frustrated that your work's gone to waste but shit happens, and I don't see you complaining when it's your arse I'm saving. Not that I should have to explain myself to you but I've been a Kingsman agent for longer than you've been alive. I know what I'm looking for and I know what I saw, but if you think you can do better, be my fucking guest and we'll see where that gets us. Although I do believe your report was due yesterday and I can't seem to remember seeing it in my inbox, so how about you learn to do your own fucking job properly before you try and tell me how to do mine?" Between their uncomfortable proximity and low, steady tone - Jesus, he really takes this whole 'whisper it in my ear' shit seriously - Eggsy was feeling suitably small. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw in defiance, but he could still feel his anger bubbling beneath the surface and tears threatening to show themselves. "Unless there are any other matters you'd like to address, you're dismissed, Galahad."

"Yes, sir," Eggsy spat back. He shoved past Merlin and left the room as dramatically as he arrived. To be fair, though, Merlin was right about him not submitting his paperwork. He wasn't sure if it was better or worse that he'd done it and just forgotten to submit it, but being able to send it through straight away felt like another little 'fuck you' to Merlin so he took his petty victory.

Harry's office was his next stop. He knocked and poked his head around the door. Harry looked up at him and frowned. "What's wrong?"

Eggsy slipped through the door, closing it behind him, and shrugged. "Who says there's anything wrong?"

"You knocked." Harry gestured to the seat in front of him, which Eggsy quickly flopped down into, and waited for him to start talking.

"Merlin's mad at me. I was pissed about that mission going to shit and he just went off on one." He crossed his arms and tried not to look at Harry.

Realising Eggsy wasn't going to continue, Harry folded his hands in front of him and prompted him further. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I suspect there might me more to it than that. I've never known him to lose his temper without good reason."

Eggsy rolled his eyes. "Alright, I might've implied that he let his feelings cloud his judgement." Harry kept staring at him expectantly - he knew when he wasn't being told the whole story and he had time to wait for it. Eggsy huffed and threw his arms up. "Fine, I said he fucked the mission 'cause he's shagging Rox!" Harry actually winced. Fuck.

"Ah. Yes, I can imagine he didn't take that particularly well."

"That's a fucking understatement. He's terrifying when he's angry, I felt like I was back in training. Or a fucking kid again. And before you say it, I know I shouldn't've said it, I was just pissed off about wasting all that time out there and we're gonna have to do it all over again. Feel like shit now, though. And he thinks I'm shit at my job." Very briefly, he felt like a weight had been lifted as he let go of his rage, only for it to be replaced by guilt and more than a little fear. If Merlin really did think he was shit at his job, would he get rid of him? How much shit was he gonna be in for talking to his superiors like that? Was Roxy gonna completely kick his arse, or would she leave him with some of his dignity intact?

"Well, I'm glad you realise your mistake. He takes his job very seriously, Eggsy, and he is extremely good at it. He will have had a very good reason for calling off a mission and your questioning it will have been taken as an insult, I'm afraid. You know well that he's a patient and tolerant man but he's like a cornered animal - he tends to lash out when he feels he's being attacked - and unfortunately, you just happened to poke a sore spot." It was always a bit unsettling how Harry managed to make things sound like a telling off and friendly advice at the same time, Eggsy thought. Harry sat back in his chair. "But if it was as bad as you say, I'm sure he'll be feeling just a bad about it as you are. And he doesn't think you're shit at your job. We'd both have known it long before now if he did."

Eggsy nodded, looking thoughtful, like he was mentally filing away little bits of information, much like he usually did when Harry was in mentor mode. "Yeah, I s'pose. Think there's any chance I can put off talking to him til tomorrow? Give him a bit more time to calm down?" There was a knock at the door, as if on cue.

"I very much doubt it." Harry called for whoever it was to come in while Eggsy willed the chair to absorb him. "Ah, Merlin. What can I do for you?"

"Arthur." Merlin nodded by way of greeting. "Sorry to interrupt, sir. I was told I might find Galahad here, I just need a quick word before the end of the day."

Before Eggsy could react, Harry had already answered. "Of course. We're just finishing up here, he'll be with you shortly." Merlin nodded again and left the room, and Eggsy shot Harry a look that practically screamed 'thanks a lot, mate'. "See, you both seem perfectly calm. No time like the present!"

Eggsy sighed and pushed himself to his feet. "Thanks, Harry. I mean, not for this, for everything else." Harry smiled at him. He was glad Eggsy still came to him for advice and actually appreciated it, that his mentorship hadn't ended when Eggsy got the job.

Eggsy made his way as slowly as humanly possible back to Merlin's office. He knocked and waited to be called in this time, he wasn't gonna risk setting Merlin off again. "Galahad. Close the door behind you please."

Eggsy did as he was told. "Look, I'm sorry about before, yeah? If you called me back here for another bollocking, can we please just skip it and put it down as a lesson learnt?"

"It's not another bollocking, but I do want to show you something." Merlin gestured for him to come over to one of his screens, where the footage from Roxy's mission was displayed. "Watch the guy at the bar."

Merlin played the footage, and sure enough, just seconds after Roxy entered the room, the man at the bar made a gesture that looked suspiciously like a positive identification signal. "Shit." He hated how Merlin was always right. "I didn't see it before, I'm sorry."

"I know you didn't, neither did Roxy. That's what my team and I are here for." Merlin rested back again the desk, surrendering just a bit of his authority. "I know you think it was all for nothing, but we had a team carrying out a raid elsewhere. They knew someone was onto them. They didn't know who Lancelot was or who she was working for but they'd identified her as a threat and would've taken her out. We also managed to identify a few more of their agents and gather more intel on their operation. All of this will help us and we'll do better next time."

"Oh. I didn't know about none of that." Eggsy grimaced internally. And maybe a little bit externally. "I've really fucked up, haven't I?"

"You might have overreacted, yes." Merlin settled his hand on Eggsy's shoulder. It was a lifetime ago but it really didn't feel like all that long since he was in Eggsy's position. "But we've all been there, son. I was fucking livid after my first failed mission. It's just that most of us aren't ballsy enough to go and bollock our supervisors over it." He couldn't help the hint of amusement that made its way onto his face.

Eggsy smiled at him then frowned at his shoes. "So, uh, how much trouble am I in for that?" He felt Merlin squeeze his shoulder and his hand fall away.

"From where I'm standing, I think we can just put it down as a lesson learned," Merlin looked at his watch. "But Lancelot's debriefing should be over right about now and it might do you some good to be gone before it is."

Eggsy didn't quite believe it but there was no way he was about to question it. "Thanks. And I am sorry. Won't happen again."

"Oh, I'm sure of it. Go on, get out of here." Eggsy winked at him and made himself scarce.

He barely made it out of the room before he was met with a punch to the arm and a furious-looking Roxy. "Ow! Come on, Rox, if you're gonna beat the shit out of me, can it at least wait until tomorrow? I'm on my way home." He was trying to inject a little humour into the situation but Roxy was having none of it.

"You little shit!" Another punch.

"Hey! I was angry, alright? I've already apologised to Merlin about a hundred times." He braced himself for another punch, but instead got a look that he was sure would've killed him if that had been even remotely possible.

"He's not the only one you need to be apologising to!" Eggsy looked shocked and a little baffled. "I'm not a tool that you can use to push people's buttons. I'm not some fragile little thing, Eggsy. I worked my arse off to get here just like everybody else, and I don't need special treatment. When we're working, I'm just like every other agent and Merlin treats me as such. Do you really think I'd have it any other way? Do you have any idea how patronising and humiliating it is that you would even suggest otherwise? It's fucking insulting."

Eggsy waited a second, just to make sure she was finished - he knew he deserved everything she had to throw at him and he was going to take it. "I know I was out of order, but I was just so pissed off. It was a cheap shot but it was easy so I took it, and I know I shouldn't have. I'm a fucking idiot. And I'm really, really sorry. It won't happen again, I swear."

Roxy studied him for a few seconds, like she was checking that he wasn't just trying to talk his way out of trouble. She must've seen what she was looking for because her look softened completely. "I should hope not. Otherwise I really will beat the shit out of you." She gave him another playful nudge, just to make her point, and pulled him into a hug. She'd said her piece and she knew he was sorry, that was all she'd needed.

Eggsy hugged her back tighter. "So I'm forgiven, then?"

"Yes, Eggsy, you're forgiven. Now, off you go. I'll see you tomorrow." Eggsy kissed her on the cheek and finally let her go, then left with a quick goodbye.

Eggsy was lounging on the sofa watching repeats of crappy TV shows and debating whether or not to go to bed when he heard a knock on the door. He forced himself to get up and answer it and was surprised to see Merlin standing there, complete with beer and chocolate. He looked at him a little suspiciously. "What's all this?"

"This," Merlin held up the items in his hands and gestured to himself, "is an apology."

That didn't clear anything up for Eggsy. "What for? I thought we done all that."

"Hm, no, I don't think so. I remember clearing the air with a colleague, but not apologising to a friend. I reacted badly and I was unfair, and frankly a bit cruel to you. It's not why I'm here but for the record, I do think you're good at what you do. One of the best we've got, actually." Eggsy gave him a grateful smile. "The point is, lasting friendships are not a guarantee in our line of work, but ours is important to me. And to you as well, I think." Eggsy nodded. "As a friend, I treated you horribly today, and I'm sorry for that, Eggsy. So...are we good?"

"Course we're good." Eggsy grinned his usual bright, infectious grin and stepped aside, the events of the day already long forgotten. "So you coming in then, or what?" And well, Merlin was never one to turn down a couple of beers.

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, Eggsy putting his foot in it is like a weekly occurrence in my mind so this was kinda fun. Let me know what you think!


End file.
